Hanakotoba, Poker Faces, and Disorder
by CrescentMoonTenshi
Summary: THE LANGUAGE OF FLOWERS AND POKER FACES REWRITE IS HERE EVERYONE! KaiShin story (Yaoi). I plan on bringing EVERYTHING into this. Pandora, cases, drama, love, different pairings, developed plot... so... everything that the previous story lacked? Anyway, Shinichi has just broken up with Ran, and closes up tighter than a clam. I wonder if one moonlight thief can change his mind?
1. Hatsukoi

**HPFD**

** KYAAAAA~! TAT I missed everyone sooooooo much! If you are here, thank you! This is the rewrite of The Language of Flowers and Poker Faces! My past fans, thank you for stopping by and sticking with me again! I am in your hands! Those of you who are new, it's nice to meet you, I'm Crescent T.! Everyone just calls me Crescent, or Cres-chan, and things like that though.**

** Anyway, I really, really, really, am pumped to be writing in DC land again! I missed all the KaiShin romances! *swoons* This time, I will be only juggling this story, and another which is in need of some wrap up chapters, so be prepared for fully developed chapters! Last time, I was just winging it, and coming to scenarios that were too... fantasy like, I guess? And that lead me down the wrong road, because the ending that was gonna come out seemed so forced! *cries* I missed the excitement that came with the writing, and I wasn't getting that anymore so I just, *makes swinging motion with arms* scraped that.**

** So...I guess an apology is in order. *does deep dogeza on the floor, going as far as to touch head to ground* I deeply apologize for the long wait for this rewrite and the stuff (for lack of better word. I am trying to keep this clean, guys!) I put everyone through on last time's wacky journey. Please accept my apology!**

** And so, may the Hanakotoba, Poker Faces, and Disorder KaiShin/ShinKai fic begin!**

**Pairings (I'm gonna switch it up a little):**

**ShinKaiXKaiShin**

**RanXSomeKarateClubClassmate **

**HeijiXKazuha**

**HakubaXShiho/Haibara (New pairing!)**

**AokoXSomeSweetClassmateWhoKaitoHates**

**... I think that's it for now?**

* * *

**Chapter Name: Hatsukoi**

* * *

**Normal POV**

It began with a date.

Shinichi couldn't deny that he had seen it coming.

Ran had dressed up with Sonoko's advice, going as far as to put on a little lipstick.

Conan frowned from his place on the couch as Ran put on some low heeled shoes, a small smile on her face as she hummed a new Okino Yoko song. If there was lipstick, the woman was open for a kiss. If there were shoes, she was considering a relationship with the guy. If there was perfume, especially that spring flower scented one, then she was trying to impress him and draw attention a little bit.

The miniature sleuth felt his brows knit tightly on his forehead. "Ran-neechan," He began sweetly, a small smile on his lips and innocent curiosity pictured on his face. "Are you going on a date?"

The young woman smiled softly as she turned around. "I am. There's this really nice guy in my karate club who asked me out to the new cafe around the corner." The brunette lifted her wrist to her chest and glanced down at the time. "I might be gone for an hour or two. You can order for takeout for dinner, if you want Conan-kun, but there's also some curry rice on the stove that you can just heat up. Don't let Otou-san have any takeout if you do order though." The teenager let a soft pout come over her features. "He lost my allowance yesterday at that Mahjong game, so no beer or takeout. Feel free to make him pay for the delivery." She girl smiled a bit impishly and winked at her young charge.

Conan pursed his lips a bit and looked up through thick lashes at his long time childhood friend. "What about Shinichi-niichan?" His words brought the girl to a slow stop and a bitter smile.

Ran knelt down to Conan's height and cupped his left cheek, a strange calming sensation and quiet aura surrounding them both. "Listen Conan-kun, I know how much you wanted Shinichi and I to work out. You were always comforting me when things went downhill." She paused for a little bit, and Conan saw tears gather in her blue orbs.

"But... I don't think I can wait much longer for him, you know? I thought it was weird. How do I know if Shinichi is the right guy for me if I haven't even tried anyone else? Most childhood romances don't work out like that. There's someone better for Shinichi then his childhood friend... and there might be someone better for me too. That's why..." She took a shaky, shoulder jumping breath. "I want to let him go. I can't keep chasing after his shadow like this forever. From what I've seen, he might not ever come back home."

Conan felt a lump in his throat as Ran embraced him tightly. "So thank you for your help, Conan-kun, but I want to move on."

Suddenly, a constricting sensation in his chest gripped his small heart tightly, and a prickling sensation gathered in his throat and behind his eyes. Conan hesitantly put his arms around Ran too, and buried his nose in the crook of her neck.

He smelled the flowery scent of her perfume and abruptly, he couldn't take it anymore. It was all over.

All the memories, all the times he had pushed himself through excruciating pain to see her smile at him _without_ the glasses, all the times he had worn that bowtie to talk into his phone, all the times he had secretly went out to make her chocolate on White day, or even send her a text message when she was sick...

It went down the drain.

Conan was the one to break the embrace. It was too painful to even keep his breathing steady near her right now.

Ran rose and began walking away, opening the door of the house and preparing to leave downstairs. Just as she opened her mouth to say goodbye, Conan called after her.

"Ran-neechan, wait!" He shouted, a hand reaching out towards her.

Maybe he could turn this around. Maybe he could convince her that Shinichi was definitely coming back to see her again. Maybe he could think up some strange factoid off the top of his head about childhood romances. He could find a way around all of the things she had said if she just-

Conan froze in his desperate tracks.

_"... but, I want to move on."_

The faux child swallowed the words that had been about to tumble from his lips.

_That_ was one thing he couldn't talk around. _That_ was her desire to leave him. There was no way he could intrude on her feelings so cruelly.

Conan let his hand drop and limply hang at his side, letting his eyes focus down on the floor. His bangs covered his eyes and his shoulders slumped in defeat.

He brokenly looked up at his first friend, first love, and first sister.

"I think that the person you choose will make you happier than Shinichi-niichan ever could." He said softly. "Good luck on your date."

Ran frowned as the light in her little brother figure's eyes dimmed, and at the heartbroken expression on his face as he limply lifted his head so that his eyes could meet her own. At that point, she had a feeling that all of her suspicions of him had been correct. She didn't need proof anymore. All she needed to see were the wise and heartbroken eyes of her young charge.

The tall brunette smiled at him happily. "I really am happy that you understand. It took me a while to convince myself to do this to you." She came to Conan once more and placed a loving kiss on his forehead. "Thank you for all the memories. One day, we will look back and they won't be as bitter. They'll be the most precious memories in the world; ones that we wouldn't want to ever forget." She said softly, turning away from him before he could see her expression.

Conan stared after his beloved as she left. The sun was already going down, and the room was died in orange and red hues. He slowly walked over to the couch he had been so comfortable on and lied down, his face in the plush cushions so that he could suffocate himself.

They had parted with mutual feelings. They really had.

He was going to let her go himself... just as soon as he was ready.

But he wasn't. That's why he almost stopped her.

Conan didn't want to move. At. All. He should just let himself suffocate like this. Who else would he love anyway? There was no point in returning to Kudou Shinichi anymore. His parents were more than happy to let him go through childhood again, and have a "cute little Shin-chan" a second time to dress up and put through more soccer tournaments.

No one would be able to learn to see past these glinting glasses, which were now pressing rather painfully into his face.

Conan sat up with a small pout. He knew that even his behavior was becoming more and more childlike every passing day. He never used to pout or whine or sulk for long periods of time like a pouting child. No he did one of these at least twice a day.

He threw off his glasses and let them land on the table as he sat alone in the now dark room.

Conan was determined to live out the rest of his life solving cases, and protecting the public. He would probably never separate from Haibara, since they were in the same position. He would never find love and never marry, except to his work, if he managed to find a place in the MPD. He probably would just die alone, if Haibara managed to be lucky enough to find someone that loved her as she was.

He, for one, could not stand the thought of dating someone his physical age, but he wouldn't mid Haibara doing it. Hell, maybe she'd choose Mitsuhiko-kun, since he was so passionately chasing after her.

Conan sighed heavily and turned so that he could stare at the ceiling rather than kill himself. It would be all over the news. "Beloved Police Mascot Commits Suicide! Death by Fluff!"

One thing was for sure: he wouldn't kill himself just yet. He couldn't leave Haibara alone here.

And...

He had an organization to erase from existence.

* * *

Ran smiled at her date happily as he stood to go get drinks for them at the snack bar. She looked up at the window on her right and to the bright stars twinkling in the dark blue backdrop called the sky. Suddenly, all she could see was Shinichi's smart grin in the stars.

She smiled gently and fondly at the image, the memories she treasured glowing more preciously than ever before.

One day, when he came back, she'd give him a good karate chop in the head for making her wait so long.

* * *

A brunette sat at the desk in his room, and sighed satisfyingly as he set a unique fountain pen down next to a card-like paper.

Then, he turned out the light and slipped into bed with an excited smirk.

This round would be fun too.

* * *

** End of chapter one! I'm so excited guys! I am keeping these chapters shorter than last time (*cough cough* 33,000+ words *cough cough*), so I'm limiting these chapters from about 1,500 to 2,000 words. Sound okay?**

** Thanks for sticking with me! Please look forward to next chapter!**

**~Crescent T.**


	2. Ai no Unmei

**HPFD.2**

** Hello, everyone! I am back already! Haha, that was quite quick, but writing only 1,500 to 2,000 words has limited my creative juices and inspires me to continue writing. What better way to do that than update?**

** Anyway, thank you for the support so far! Not many reviews, but I am grateful for them anyway. I am more proud of the favorites and follows I've gotten. XD With that said and done, go ahead and begin the story!**

* * *

**Chapter Name: Ai no Unmei**

* * *

**Normal POV**

Haibara had noticed.

Of course, he had expected nothing less from her. After all, they had gotten a lot closer with the entire Black Organization ordeal hanging over their heads. They were intelligent individuals who had a friendship that hooked them together at all times. It wasn't quite a brother and sister relationship, like he and Ran now shared, but it was pretty damn close.

He hadn't gone to speak to her about the strange break up yet. Ran had yet to call him on his "Shinichi phone" to make it official. So, he figured, why tell her if there was still a small ray of hope? Of course, living with the said "almost girlfriend" was getting more painful by the day.

It had been two weeks by now. Conan was locked up in the room he shared with Kogoro, though he wished he could go to sleep alone too. Eventually, the child snapped.

They asked too many questions.

"What's wrong, brat? Don't tell me someone's botherin' you!" Occhan had once asked.

Conan had merely shaken his head, and the man walked away, grumbling softly to himself.

Ran didn't ask many, except for the occasional, "Are you feeling okay, Conan-kun? Are you sick?" The usual brow crinkle accompanied the worried questions.

The faux child had had enough. He just wanted to be alone for a little while. No Occhan cheering at the Okino Yoko songs on TV, or grumbling about a lost bet. No Ran-neechan asking about the next meal, or scolding her father for having one too many beers.

Conan closed in on himself.

It had gotten so painful lately. All he did nowadays was stare at the newspaper articles covering cases, eat, sleep, breathe, go to school... smile falsely... it was beginning to take its toll. Couldn't he be alone for just a little while to wallow in a truckload of self pity? He didn't know why, but sulking usually made it all better. It would still tug at his heart strings whenever he saw Ran going out all dressed up and smiling, but at least he would be able to smile honestly afterwards.

And so, a light bulb lit up over his head.

"Ne, Ran-neechan," Conan began sweetly one morning. They were now on a break from school, and everyone but Kogoro, who had to open up the agency, had slept in neatly.

"Yes, Conan-kun, what's up?" Ran tilted her head to the side and locked gazes with her charge. It was the first time in a few weeks that he was initiating conversation. She wasn't about to let this achievement escape her grasp, so she intended o milk it for all it was worth.

Conan felt his chest do a painful flip and squeeze as their eyes locked. Even though he had braced himself, it was still very, very painful to look at her.

"Can I spend break with Agasa-hakase?" He said slowly, trying not to sound desperate to leave as he spoke.

Ran frowned for a moment. "Does Agasa-hakase have room for you with Ai-chan over there?" She inquired, her voice full of concern.

Conan nodded. "I'll be house-sitting for a little while since Haibara and Hakase have to go to a few conventions to promote new inventions. They had no one else to ask to watch over the house. Don't worry, the Hakase has a bunch of things prepared over there so that I'm not alone all the time."

The teenager pursed her lips. Truth be told, she didn't want to let him leave, knowing that he'd spend a lot of his time alone and in a child's body, but... now that she knew his true identity, she was a little frustrated and angry at him too. Scratch that. She was _more_ than a little frustrated and angry.

Why had he hidden himself away this whole time?

Maybe it'd help them both blow off some steam if he went. Maybe she'd call "Shinichi" and tell him that she was starting to date other people now. The girl couldn't bear to do it while he was in the same house.

While she knew she could forgive him sooner or later, right now, she felt very betrayed and hurt.

"Okay." Ran smiled down at her charge falsely. "I don't mind."

And Conan smiled for the first time since Ran had gone on his date. "Thanks!" He cheered, quickly finishing up his breakfast and running away to pack his things.

He packed several outfits and his toothbrush and such, as though he was going to a sleep over. But by the time he had finished and put away the futon he slept on, the house was absolutely devoid of any evidence that Conan had been there.

Conan gave a wave to Ran as he walked out of the door, putting on his favorite shoes. He said goodbye to Occhan as he walked down the stairs too.

"Ah, Conan-kun," Ran called after him as he stepped out into the street. He looked up the cement staircase at his older sister figure and last love. "Be sure to call me once in a while and tell me how you're doing, okay?"

Conan nodded and waved, slinging his bag over his shoulder and launching himself onto his solar powered skateboard.

Now all he had to do was get the Hakase to cover for him, and he was home free at last.

* * *

He had to explain, so he did.

Shinichi started from the beginning, where he began to feel as though he should let Ran go. It was for the best, he told himself, so that she would be happy. Shinichi explained that she had told him herself that she wanted to move on, and he accepted that,

"...but..." Conan gripped the area on the stool between his legs, his hands together as he let his head hang down. Haibara sat on another stool beside him, and Hakase listened from behind the kitchen counter as he prepared coffee. His voice had cracked, and two tear drops fell to the surface of the leather stool. "...I wasn't the one ready. I was planning on letting her go as soon as I was ready."

Haibara frowned. "And when would that be, Kudo-kun?" She asked a bit harshly. She was not one to sugar coat things. This was reality he had to face.

Conan raised his head slowly and looked at her with water blue orbs. For a moment, he could not process her question, but staring into those vibrant teal eyes made him speak. It was as though she were pulling the answers from his gently.

"I...I don't know..." He answered truthfully in a whisper.

The coffee cup was finally placed in front of him.

Haibara sat back with a sigh of complexity. "Then isn't it better this way?" She asked.

He stared at her in open shock.

"Kudo-kun, you probably never would've let her go." The strawberry blonde explained smoothly. "It would've been too difficult since you were always by her side. You would end up clinging to a small hope until there was nothing else you could do about it."

At her words, Conan remembered the moment he had almost stopped Ran from leaving on her date.

"If you were always at her side, the best person to do initiate the split would be her. It would be the easiest route since she is under the impression that you haven't seen each other in a long time. The feelings you've shared by now should've faded. Either that, or she wants you to be happy with someone else." Haibara paused. "And from what you told us about what she said, then I think it is the second one. She wouldn't dump you out of the blue unless she's been thinking about it for a long time too."

Conan stared down at the black depths of his black coffee in thought, complementing Haibara's words in his head. He turned them over and over in his sharp mind, stepping away from the situation and looking at it from an outsider's point of view.

Perhaps Haibara was right. He probably never would've been able to gather the determination and courage to tell her to date other people. Especially not when she fed him gently smiles every day.

"I know what I said will not erase the pain." Haibara looked down at her hands that rested on the counter with soft eyes. "But maybe it can ease it." She hoped. "And there is someone else out there for you." She began the cliché 'plenty of fish in the sea' speech. "You're the one that can see them, right? Those things you call the 'strings of fate.'" She smiled at him. "How do you know if you've found your soul mate?" She asked.

Shinichi looked down at his hands and blinked twice, focusing on his senses and spreading his awareness. His surroundings faded into inky blackness, and from his lit up body, strings went from his body and into the darkness.

"It's not like I can physically see them," he began uneasily as he came out of the darkness of his subconscious. "It's more like I can sense where they are and who they connect to." He sighed. "And I don't know. I figure that the string would _feel_ different if I found my soulmate."

"Have you found anyone different?" Haibara asked.

Shinichi pursed his lips in thought. "Usually it's just that the string connects our chests." He touched the area right under the space where his clavicles met with his index finger. "For you, the Shonen Tantei-Dan, Hattori, the police, people at school... all of you connect with me here." He reached towards Haibara and put his index finger where he had pointed to himself.

Haibara slapped his hands away with an irritated glare after a moment. She had felt like she could vividly imagine the strings, and it made her a bit uncomfortable.

"People like Hakase, Kaa-san and Tou-san, Sensei at school, Occhan, and Megure-keibu all connect to my right hand or shoulder." He explained.

"So parent figures that have helped you grow. Like they're holding your hand or putting one on your shoulder." Haibara summarized. "Are there any other places?"

"Ran had connected by herself in a different spot." He touched the spot over his heart and sighed. "That was why I fought for her so much. She was different."

Haibara's eyes narrowed. "What about the legend?"

Shinichi gulped down more of his coffee. "Legend? What legend? There's a legend?" He cocked a brow.

The strawberry blonde willed herself not to facepalm, but fixed her friend with an incredulous look. "The one about the red strings of fate... I can't believe you can see them but don't know the legend." She took in a deep breath. "The legend says that soul mates are connected by a red string of fate that links their pinky fingers." She held up one of her own pinkies. "It's a very popular legend on love, you know. How did you miss it?"

Shinichi's lips thinned into a line as he grew defensive. "Well, my bad for not paying attention to those ridiculous love stories girls are obsessed with." He pouted, drowning his irritated attitude in another gulp of black coffee.

The Hakase laughed nervously as an angry tic made itself known on Haibara's forehead.

"Well _excuse me_ for being obsessed and trying to help!" She huffed, now irritated herself.

Shinichi immediately recognized his mistake. "I was just kidding, Haibara! _Kidding!"_ He practically squeaked.

The strawberry blonde would have none of it. "Anyway, what color are those strings?"

Conan blinked, surprised that she had let the matter go so easily. "Like a glowing red color... why?" He cocked his head to the side.

"Then look for the person with a string on their pinky that connects to yours." Haibara shrugged. "Simple as that. Do you see a string on your pinky?"

Shinichi wrinkled his nose. "I can't see the strings unless that person is nearby. I don't have that much power."

Somehow, he doubted that after Ran, there was anyone else who could possibly be his soulmate, like Haibara said.

No one else he had met had had their string connect in a different place.

No one he remembered, at least.

* * *

**Cut! Haha, what in the world are they talking about? It might be very obvious to you how Shinichi can see those strings, but if not, all shall be explained in due time!**

** I actually kept listening to the opening for DC by VALSHE called "Butterfly Core." My favorite part is when Shinichi and Conan show up on screen and mouth the lyrics. XD **

** See you next time!**

** ~Crescent T.**


	3. Jibun o Han'ei

**HPFD.3**

** I'm back~! For some reason, I never actually plan out where a chapter of a story is going until the middle of the story... so... what is a surprise to you is probably a surprise to me. Maybe not.**

** Disclaimer: I forgot to do this, didn't I? Oh well, I, CrescentMoonTenshi, declare that any attempts to sue me for being an obsessive Fanfiction writer/fan girl, will be immediately dismissed, for the wonderful rights to ownership belong to Goshou Aoyama, and not myself. If I did reserve the rights to Detective Conan, I'd have the rights to Magic Kaito too, and we all know where that would end up. **

** Warning: Uh... spoilers, if you haven't gotten up to the Subaru arc yet, and if you haven't gotten that caught up in the manga/anime lately (the spoiler for this one is just a brief mention of a case).**

* * *

**Chapter Name: Jibun o Han'ei**

* * *

**Normal POV**

Returning home felt more empty than usual. The deafening silence that blanketed the mansion... he couldn't bring himself to break it, going as far as to hold his breath the moment he noticed it.

Conan stood in the doorway for a long time. The dust in his house was swept clean, and unfamiliar pairs of loafers were tucked into the shoe cabinet.

He sighed heavily. It wasn't as quiet as he had first thought. He listened closely to the sound of the kitchen in use, and Conan headed there first.

"Hello, Subaru-san." He greeted with as much cheer as he could muster, making a beeline for the coffeemaker. The man didn't seem all too surprised at his sudden appearance. He had probably heard him come in.

"Ah, Conan-kun," The man smiled pleasantly. "How are you doing? I haven't heard from you since the refrigerated truck incident." He greeted smoothly as Conan navigated the kitchen expertly, gathering supplies for his coffee.

The faux child looked up at the cupboard holding his precious blend of coffee, and then at the stool he left in the kitchen for instances like this forlornly. Sometimes, he truly despised his short form. Subaru saved him the embarrassment and opened the cabinet himself, holding out the coffee and sugar to the boy. To his surprise, the child waved the sugar away dismissively.

"Thanks." He murmured, heading to the machine. "You really got us through that one. I was worried for a little bit. Especially since one of the kids fainted from the cold." Conan explained, his hands moving on autopilot to make his coffee.

Subaru merely smiled pleasantly before switching topics. "I take it you enjoy your coffee strong?"

Conan fixed him with a dead serious, sideways gaze. "Like battery acid." He replied solemnly.

The comment managed to elicit a smooth chuckle from the taller of the two. "Are you staying long?" He asked casually.

Conan paused thoughtfully. He had forgotten that Subaru now lived in his house in his desire to sulk, but had told Ran that he would be away all of break. He figured there was no need to be wary of Subaru now that Bourbon's identity was certain, even if Haibara still got 'that feeling' around him for brief moments of time.

"Until break the break at the elementary school is over." He answered decisively, patiently waiting for the coffee maker to begin its obnoxious slurping and sucking sound. "It's only about a week long, so I'll be out of your hair soon, I promise." He grinned a bit.

The man smiled, taking the faux child's off attitude in stride. "Don't worry about that, Conan-kun. It'd be nice to have someone around for a little while."

Conan fixed the man with a crooked smile of gratefulness before pouring his fresh brew of coffee into his favorite mug. He'd do his best to avoid the man without being noticed until break was over.

* * *

He had really pulled all the stops this time. Chips, ice cream, cookies... he wasn't the type to try to survive on junk food alone, but he needed the fat anyway, since turning in Shinichi only made him look like a walking sack of skin and bones.

His room was a mess by now, since he had refused to leave his room for three days straight. He left only to have meals with Subaru, who insisted on his attendance to them. Even then, however, he touched very little of his food, even though Subaru was an excellent cook. He would enjoy it more if everything that entered his mouth didn't taste like he had put a bunch of soft, plain crackers in his mouth.

He had wallowed in self pity for three days straight, outright flatly refusing to leave his bed of bundled blankets. He had taken a long time to reflect on his life; his past, the present, and the coming future.

He had never really imagined a future without Ran by his side. It hurt. It really did feel like someone was pinching the very center of his heart whenever he thought about it. The pain was a strange twinge now, though, somewhat distant and numb.

Shinichi had finally acknowledged and accepted the fact that the two would never end up together. But now, he knew that at least remaining friends would be easy. He would simply throw aside the thought of entering a relationship for the far, far, away future, even if it did mean that he was sweeping it under the rug. He knew, very strongly now, that there were more things to his life than just, "Ran." He had cases, friends, soccer, taking down an internationally influential crime syndicate, finding a way to return to his original body, his collection of Holmes books (Giving up on love would be another thing that relates him to his hero), and many other things.

He could be happy without loving someone. It was too early to decide on staying with one person when he had his entire life ahead of him.

He was just a high school student. He had the world in front of him with open arms right now, and if he really did manage to ever find someone (though he sincerely doubted it), he would spend the majority of his life with that person after marriage anyway. What was the point in chaining himself down now?

Now he could be more independent and free and reckless.

Well... maybe not reckless per say, but...

Shinichi finally gathered himself up from his cocoon of blankets and began picking up after himself. He knew he would never truly get over Ran, and that it would always hurt his chest whenever he thought of the future they could've had together, but it would get better.

It _had_ to get better, because he was Kudou Shinichi, the high school detective that bounced back from depression pretty quickly after a good sulk and pep talk.

Haibara's pep talk? Check.

Sulking for three days straight with nothing but junk food and Holmes? Check, and check!

Shinichi stretched his entire small form, finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel.

He'd always feel pain about his lost love, but that would be another thing that he would have to carry as his life's baggage.

* * *

To Subaru's surprise, the miniature detective he had been worried about had come down to the kitchen himself today.

The sharp and calculating light in his host's eyes had finally returned, and that sometimes cheeky grin was plastered over his face.

"What's for lunch today, Subaru-san? If you don't feel like making anything, I can take a shot today. Though, I've gotta warn you, my cooking is not as culinary art award worthy as yours." The faux child scratched his cheek with an index finger, a nervous habit that Subaru had become familiar with himself by now.

Subaru merely smiled his 'I-will-take-this-change-of-attitude-in-stride-too' smile and shook his head. "I was thinking of okonomiyaki for lunch, and some takeout for dinner. Does that sound okay?"

Conan grinned, instantly being reminded of his Osakan counterpart and his obsession with their lunch. "Heiji-niichan would have a fit if he found out I had homemade okonomiyaki without him." He snickered childishly.

"Ah yea? Well then, maybe 'Heiji-niichan' should jus' join ya fer lunch, haa?" A familiar Osakan accent bellowed through the room.

"Hoh..." Subaru let his brows furrow in a little worry as he stared at the new guest towering behind Conan, malice in the guest's aura.

Conan grimaced in surprise as a large hand was suddenly set upon his head. "Geh!" He squawked as he felt his head being pushed downwards.

"Wat's da matter widd'ya, huh, K-K-Conan-kun?" The Osakan detective immediately began scolding his young friend. "I called ya, but'chya didn't answer, so I called Neechan, 'n' she said ya went ta spend yer break at da Hakase's, but did'ya _really_ d'ink dat I wouldn't find dat a little suspicious?" He ranted. "_You, _spendin' _yer_ break, in da custody of Sciencey Neechan? Uh huh, like I was 'bout ta believe dat!" He spat. "Who knows wat experiments she'd be pushin' on ya right 'bout now? So I came all da way from Osaka, jus' narrowly escapin' Kazuha, to rescue ya, 'n' wat do I find? You goin' ta eat okonomiyaki widdout meh!" The tanner of the two ranted endlessly.

Conan finally managed to escape the hand that kept pushing his small head around and faced his best friend. "Oi! That hurts!" He finally managed to yell.

"'Dat hurts?!'" Heiji quoted with wide eyes. "'Dat hurts?!' Oh, I'll tell ya wat hurts! I _d'ought_ we were best friends, and ya don't answer yer phone fer three days? Are ya _tryin'_ ta make meh worry?" He whined.

Shinichi eyed his friend for a moment before sweat-dropping. "Maa, maa, stop your ranting, okay? I'll explain later." He attempted to calm his friend and put his hands up in a surrendering motion.

The taller of the two finally seemed to notice the other occupant of the room. "Ah, Subaru-san, right?" He asked, putting forward a hand. "Nice ta meet'chya! I'm K-K-Conan-kun's best friend, Hattori Heiji, renowned detective of da West!" He exclaimed proudly, his chest puffing out a bit. "I heard from K-K-Conan-kun dat you were livin' h're fer da time bein'."

Conan sweatdropped at his friend's slip ups. "He already knows, remember? He was the one who caught me talking to Ran with the bowtie."

Heiji's emerald colored eyes widened with recognition. "Ah, dat makes sense."

Conan fixed his friend with a deadpanned look, his hands stuffed in his pockets. "And even if he didn't know, the slip ups you keep making would already have him suspicious."

Heiji sweatdropped as Subaru stepped forward and took his outstretched hand, shaking it casually. "It's nice to meet you, Hattori-kun. My name is Okiya Subaru."

The tanned skinned Osakan grinned and chuckled a bit. "Sorry fer da intrusion." He apologized.

"Oh, don't worry. If Kudou-kun wants you here, I have no qualms about it. A large house can be pretty lonely with no one else in it, right, Kudou-kun?" Subaru bent down and smiled at his young host.

They watched as Conan's eyes glazed over in thought. "Yeah..." He agreed quietly, lost in childhood memories. He suddenly snapped out of it. "I guess it can be once in a while, huh?" The faux child grinned up at his two guests. "So... how 'bout that lunch?"

* * *

Needless to say, Hattori and Subaru became the best of friends after finding out about each other's tastes in food. Hattori was no cook, but by the end of the day, Subaru had written down a recipe that he could take home to his mother.

After that, Hattori and Conan found themselves in the library, sitting over a chessboard completely made of glass. On one side, Heiji's side, there were clear glass pieces. On Conan's, there were frosted glass pieces with rough textures to them. The board was modeled after the theme, checkered with the clear and frosted glass squares.

Heiji stared, irritated, at the board and its pieces, seeing that his friend was steadily luring him into a complex trap. He frowned. What bothered him the most was the fact that he knew how the trap worked, but could not find a way out of it. He looked at his friend, who only grinned cheekily in response.

"So yer tellin' meh dat Neechan suddenly dumped ya outta da blue?" Heiji summarized, moving a knight forward.

Conan bobbed his head up and down in answer, shifting his queen away from the detective's greedy hands. "And I let her go. I could have fought against all the reasons she gave me if I wanted to."

"'If ya wanted to?'" Heiji quoted, moving a pawn forward.

"Un," Conan hummed in reply. "But I don't." He moved a bishop forward, almost completing his trap.

"W-why not?" _Geh. _Heiji winced, staring at his pieces. His eyes roamed over the board, searching and calculating the next move.

"There was one thing that I couldn't fight against." Conan moved a knight, completing his trap, and smiled bitterly at his friend. "She wanted to move on herself. I can't change her desires." He shook his head. "That would be cruel."

Heiji hung his head in defeat, moving a random pawn forward and watching as Conan claimed it swiftly. "So... what 'r' ya gonna do now?" He asked.

Shinichi tipped over Heiji's king with a finger, his hands returning underneath his chin to support his head. He looked up at his friend with clear and pained cerulean blue orbs. "I've been checkmated by the goddess of love and fate. It's game over on my side." He answered simply.

Heiji locked gazes with his friend silently. He held his own doubts about his friend being finished, but he'd accept his decision.

For now.

* * *

**Haha, that's a little over the 2,000 mark, but I got to where I wanted to be. I hope this chapter satisfied all of you who missed how I wrote Hattori's accent. XD See ya next time! Things will finally start movin' along!**

**~Crescent T.**


	4. Ai ni Namida

**HPFD.4**

** I can't seem to get my hands off of this can I? Well, as soon as this Spring Break is over, these updates will probably get less frequent. XD**

** For those of you who wanted to know how I managed to end Shinichi's sulking session so realistically last time, I received inspiration by Tori Kelly's "Dear No One." It's on YouTube. And very catchy. ;)**

** Warning: Colorful language (hmmm, I wonder who that could be), reference to London arc, and to the movie with the plane and Kaitou KID (can't remember the name, but I hope it's a movie). Too tired to edit too, so...**

* * *

**Chapter Name: Ai ni Namida**

* * *

**Normal POV**

Hattori tried to stay for three days. He really did, to keep his best friend company over his heartbreak, but Kazuha wouldn't have it.

He managed to stay two days and two nights. On the third morning, his bags were packed up and he was whisked away by his childhood friend and love interest, albeit the fact that he didn't realize it yet.

That wasn't to say that he and Shinichi hadn't had fun. They had gone to the movies, which resulted in a suicide case, a restaurant, which had resulted in a poison-using murder, to an amusement park (fortunately not Tropical Land), which had resulted in a theft case, and then to a local soccer game, where they tried, in vain, to avoid any more cases. Unfortunately, that one had been a hostage/kidnapping situation.

It had renewed Shinichi's adoration for complex, mind puzzling situations, but that hadn't changed the fact that, at the end of the day, there was always another family in charge of arranging a funeral.

It had renewed Shinichi's desire to change the filthy world they were trapped in, hoping that by putting common people who had turned ugly with hatred and jealousy in jail would warn others. He hoped that he would become a threat to them, in a way, and that the crime rate would soon drop, but seeing as bodies seemed to fall at his feet, such a thing would most likely not happen soon.

It had renewed Shinichi's hope that, one day, the world just might be a better place with his existence pushing against cruel fates handed to (mostly) innocent people.

And for that, he found another reason to climb out of Depression Land and keep his chin up.

It had happened on the first night.

Both of them had been surprised, seeing as the _thing _was addressed to both of them.

They had believed he wasn't stupid enough to invite them, but now they knew that he was too much.

_When the Father turns his hourglass downwards,_

_The Mother protects her dear Daughter,_

_And the anniversary of the storyteller's home opens grand gates,_

_I will arrive to place a kiss,_

_On the chaste maiden's lips. _

_~Kaitou KID *caricature*_

_PS. Feel free to invite Tantei-han too, Tantei-kun. The more detectives, the bigger the failure seems~! ;D_

Of course, Hattori had gone on a rampage about wounded pride and taunting and, "how-I'm-gonna-drive-a-stick-up-somew're-_real_-uncomfert'le-when-I-see-da-likes-of-'im."

Shinichi, however, was more concerned about how the internationally wanted thief had detected the western detective's presence in Beika-chou.

"Maa, maa," Conan put his hands up. Apparently, this was a habit he'd be stealing from Megure-keibu when he was around someone as hot headed as Hattori Heiji. "At least it's better than someone being dead, right? We can go and have fun without having to go to a funeral." He sweat dropped as his friend paused in his tirade.

"Ya go to da fun'rals?" Heiji furrowed his brows and stared down at his friend.

"Somehow, I usually end up close to the family members during the investigations." Conan shrugged. "If the family allows it, I go. They usually invite me before I ask, because, apparently, I am the reason their loved one's soul is at rest. Maybe I'm just really approachable since I'm young?" He tilted his head to the side. "I haven't been to many since I turned into Conan. It's probably because Occhan is the one solving them, not me."

Heiji snorted at that.

"This should be better, at least. You know that KID has that thing against people getting hurt at his heists." Conan pointed out. "I remember how furious he got when one of the guards had gotten hit by a stray bullet meant for him. KID was hell-bent on capturing the man there, even though he could risk himself being caught and was already half way into the clear." Conan grinned fondly at the memory, noticing Hattori's hooked stared.

"He turned his glider around. The police couldn't tell what happened until after the smoke cleared, but the man was hanging off the side of a skyscraper by a single rope, only in his underpants, and had his hair dyed so many different colors that he went to court that way." He and Hattori shared a laugh. "The poor guy was drawn all over with utterly removable marker, and things like, 'Santa put me on the naughty list, so I put him on the hit list' and 'If payback is sweet, and revenge a bastard, then I must be the sweetest bastard you've ever met.'"

Hattori roared with laughter.

Conan's eyes suddenly lit up. "Ooh! Oh! There was another one!" He exclaimed. "Um... 'Karma takes too long. I'd rather beat the shit out of you now.'"

Hattori blinked before chuckling smoothly.

"It was so strange!" Conan declared. "I mean, he prides himself on being a gentleman, but then he goes and uses colorful language on par with Nakamori-keibu's when he's been angered."

"Wat happened laterr?" Heiji asked.

"He apparently visited the man in the hospital, leaving 'get well soon' balloons and cards, and even a 'sorry about what I did during my blackout' card." Shinichi smiled. "He left the man instructions on how to remove his glitter, guck, and dye, which, he has made copies of and has gotten rich off of by selling them to other officers. One of the cards that really jumped out at me was the, 'I massively fucked up and I'm really sorry' card. Then later, the, 'Umm.., sorry, but I did get you flowers' card."

"'N' did 'e acta'ly bring da guy flowers?" Hattori asked.

Conan nodded almost solemnly. "Stepping into the man's hospital room was like walking into a greenhouse garden." He declared. "Funny, but it smelled like perfume." He wrinkled his nose at the memory.

Hattori pursed his lips. "Fine, I'll go wid ya to da heist." He accepted, noticing how his friend seemed the most animated while talking about Kaitou KID than he had all vacation. "But first, we gotta solve da notice."

Conan grinned as the two sat across from each other at the kitchen countertop, but frowned as Hattori immediately announced that it be a competition. Shinichi attempted to convince him otherwise, but his counterpart paid no heed and studiously worked at the new notice.

Well, if he lost, he could always claim that he had never agreed to a competition, and was taking his time.

* * *

They spent their time idly awaiting the day Hattori would leave after that, deciding that going out would probably only bring about more funeral invitations.

The heist was in a week, so Hattori would return after that. Thankfully, it wouldn't be on a school night, and Conan would be able to convince Ran to let him go.

...

...

...

Ran.

Shinichi sat back in his favorite arm chair behind his father's old desk. He sat with his legs crossed, and one elbow propped up on the surface of the table to meet his chin, where his hand cupped his jaw. His index finger covered the length of his lips as he stared off into space, eyes narrowed and deep in thought.

It still bothered him; the thought of returning to the side of the woman who he had invested his entire life in so that he could hopefully find happiness with her.

Still, it wasn't as if the two of them had made things official.

Shinichi had confessed under that gorgeous grandfather clock, but she hadn't told him anything in return.

...

...

...

It hurt.

Had she possibly thinking of letting him go since that time?

Shinichi sighed, trying in vain to push the negative thoughts away and focus on the newspaper in front of him, but try as he might, the thoughts continued to haunt him.

She hadn't really dumped him.

After all, nothing had been official.

She had been his...'intended.'

They had a...'thing.'

They were more than friends, but not yet a couple.

Shinichi sighed again heavily, smacking his head down on the desk and not trying to get up. He stared at the air on the side, his gaze a million miles away.

The point was, could he really go back there, and risk the chance of only putting himself through more heartbreak?

Or was it finally time for the disappearance of 'Conan?'

* * *

His Shinichi phone rang later that night.

He was restless, and refused to sleep, staying awake through the night in his library, much to the dismay of a worried Subaru and irritated Hattori.

_Hmmm... who could that be? _He thought bitterly, knowing to immediately answer the phone and fix his bowtie.

"Hello?" He asked, his voice changed thanks to his gadget.

_"Shinichi?"_

"Ah, Ran, huh? I was wondering just when you were gonna call to nag me about something." Shinichi joked, smoothly keeping his voice in check and not allowing it to crack in sorrow.

_"Shinichi!" She scolded immediately. "That's so mean! Especially since you haven't managed to pick up the phone in such a long time!"_

"Oops, sorry. What would I do without you to watch over my manners, Ran?"

_"..." _

"Ran?"

_"...I don't know, Shinichi." _Suddenly, Ran's voice sounded extremely exhausted. _"I won't be there to keep you in check all the time anymore. Maybe just some of the time now..."_

Shinichi was silent for a long moment. "What do you mean?" He asked slowly, as though trying to stall the inevitable.

_"Shinichi...I don't think I can do this anymore." _She said just as slowly, bracing herself for the pain to come. _"I've...I've begun to date other people, Shinichi."_

"..."

_"Shinichi?"_

The detective let his bangs cover his eyes as he sat alone in the cold and dark library room, brightened only by the haunting light of the moon.

"That's good, Ran." He said finally. "I'm happy for you."

_"R-really?" _She stuttered out.

"Really." He confirmed. "You deserve someone much better than me, who will always just keep you waiting. You deserve someone better than this Holmes freak." He said sincerely, bitterness lacing his every word. "You can be much happier, Ran. With someone else."

_"Shinichi..." _She breathed.

He paused for a long time, staring at his hands. "Just..." He trailed off. "Just one thing," He began.

He could hear her nervous and surprised gulp. _"Sure. Go ahead."_

He didn't say anything for a long while, and she didn't either, patiently waiting for him, just as she always did. "Can we..." He began hesitantly. "Can we still be friends?"

Shinichi jumped in surprise at her cry of happiness and relief. _"Of course, you Holmes freak! We are always going to best friends, no matter what! Even if this best friend will be super mad at you for making her worry, we will still be best friends."_

Shinichi smiled in the dark, a satisfied 'hmph' escaping through his nose.

"Thanks...Ran," He said finally. "For everything."

He could tell she was smiling softly. _"...You're welcome."_

And with that, the phone call ended.

Shinichi set the phone down on his table, and set his head in his hands with a sigh.

...

...

...

It hurt so much.

So he wept for the first time over his lost love, all alone in that big, dark, and lonely library, the goddess of the moon his only comfort.

* * *

**For some reason, I keep punishing our poor Shinichi. Hopefully, this is the last time we'll see him so depressed. The phrase, 'it hurt' won't get old anytime soon, though. Haha. **

** Anyway, feel free to take a guess at the heist note.**

** Did I surprise you with who the culprit was (of using such colorful vocabulary)?**

**~Crescent T.**

* * *

PS. I'm using Google Translate to make the chapter titles, if you're interested in translating them yourself. They are the titles of my favorite pianist's songs; Yiruma.


	5. Ibu

**HPFD.5**

** Hello. I'm back. I'm glad everyone is excited to see the KID heist. I missed writing those...**

** Anyway, kudos to Assasin8 who got the closest to the heist notice's meaning. Way to go, Assasin8! *claps and cheers***

** Warnings: Reference to the Last Wizard of the Century movie three. ;)**

* * *

**Chapter Name: ****Ibu**

* * *

**Normal POV**

Conan stood, his hands stuffed into his pockets, on the train's platform. Hattori was standing next to him as they waited for the train to arrive.

"Some note, huh?" Conan breathed out with a whoosh.

They had solved the heist notice, of course, but they spent the entire solving session arguing about the answers and who was right. Shinichi had to stick up for his conclusion using evidence, since Hattori always went blind to them when he had 'winning' on his mind.

It is not about winning.

...

Ok, maybe sometimes.

"I can't believe ya won. Again." Hattori grumbled, annoyed at his friend. "D'ey don't call ya da 'KID killer' fer nothin', huh?"

Conan looked up at his friend with an embarrassed smile. "It was a lot vaguer than the usual notices... I only knew the location because I live in Beika, and know what 'anniversary' he was talking about."

"'N' wadd'ya get?" Hattori looked down at his friend.

Despite the fact that they had spent a long time arguing along the way, neither of them had revealed their final answers.

Conan had half the mind to let his friend go on with his assumptions. Maybe he's end up at the wrong location.

He sighed. "The 'Father' and 'hourglass' refer to Father Time." Shinichi began. "The Father is turning it downwards, so that means it's the start of a new day. The 'Mother' protecting her 'Daughter' is another hint to the time, but this one is talking about a clock itself."

Heiji nodded. "So da heist's at midnight. Da 'Mother' is da big hand of da clock, 'n' da 'Daughter' is da little hand. 'N' if ya look at a clock's center pin, da little hand is underneath da bigger one." He finished.

Conan nodded. "The 'storyteller's home' means museum," He began the next line, a small and excited smirk gracing his features. "In other words, 'story' refers to 'history' and 'home' means 'building.' I mean, there are other possibilities, but when we think of the next line, and KID's usual heist locations, we get Beika Museum."

"Nde?" Hattori looked down at his friend with curiosity. "How'd ya get 'Beika Museum'?"

Shinichi turned a bit pink. "Before I was Conan, Ran used to drag me to the huge celebration Beika Museum held for its anniversaries, the date being when it opened its doors for the first time."

Heiji's eyes clouded with concern, but he smiled at his friend anyway. "So yer not new to da celebrations... does dat mean you'll know where we're goin' when we get d'ere?" He questioned, innocent curiosity gleaming in his sea green eyes.

Conan nodded. "The 'chaste maiden' points to 'Artemis's Wisdom.'" He murmured, lost in thought. He clasped his chin with his right hand. "It's a small, marble statue of Artemis. Her pose makes her look really sorrowful, but there's a glowing sapphire in her forehead. The museum owners arrange her just right so that the light in the room bounces off the sapphire, and the jewel sends blue beams across the display hall. It's very beautiful."

Heiji nodded. "Ya saw it?"

"Yes." Conan confirmed. "It's been there for a few years, so-"

Hattori's cell phone began singing an obnoxious ringtone. He sweatdropped at his friend and chuckled nervously as he grabbed his phone, flinched at the caller ID, and answered it.

Conan snickered.

Hattori Heiji, the tannest person he knew (he was tanner than Amuro), had paled to the color of a normal Tokyo citizen in fright.

Suddenly, the taller of the two was holding the phone away from his ear.

Conan could hear Kazuha yelling from three feet away.

* * *

Now, Shinichi had his last day of break all to himself.

He went straight home and retreated into his large library.

The library had been cleaned in his long absence; something he didn't notice as he sat with Hattori and played chess. The large, dome-shaped, glass ceiling had its windows thrown open, and a soothing breeze drifted through the room. The yellow sun cast warm rays through the glass, and shafts of light hit the floors. Shinichi sat on the yellow sofa that had a rose pattern of orange on the cloth. The sides were rimmed with wood, and he shuddered as he remembered all the times he had leaned too far back and hit his head.

He got comfortable, a book in his hand.

He hoped to spend the rest of the day distracted from the thought that, eventually, he'd have to return to Ran's side.

It wasn't half as bad as he thought it would be.

He couldn't look her in the eye that first day, no matter what. But, when the next day came, he felt a _little_ more comfortable. He could talk to her and be _Conan_.

It was _Shinichi_ that was in pain.

_Conan_ had nothing to do with it, he realized that first night home.

He would have to keep the Conan persona he'd been wearing in full control, like a mask.

He took in deep breaths and smiled whenever they talked, so that it wouldn't seem obvious that he was hurt. After all, he had gone a week without seeing her, and he felt better with the sulk and pep talk he had received.

Going back to school hadn't been bad either. He was more than happy to be surrounded by the cheerful attitudes of the children, and could already feel his spirits being lifted again.

It would be fine.

He was okay.

But... just in case, Haibara kept an eye on him.

It got a little easier with each passing day. He was glad that it did. Sooner or later, he'd pull himself out of the hole of depression he'd dug himself into.

It was like he was chained to the various experiences he had as Kudou Shinichi, and the experiences waiting for him as Edogawa Conan were pulling him, placing stress on the chains. He would always be compared to his old self, even though he had changed.

Edogawa Conan had changed him.

Now, he was no longer sure if, when he returned to being Kudou Shinichi, that everything would be normal. He wasn't sure if he was the same person... the person Mouri Ran had fallen in love with.

That was what frightened him the most. That was what chained him.

All he had to do was break his chains.

Only then, would he be truly free from all the deceit and hiding and sneaking around. Only then, would he truly be one person and one person only.

The question was who would end up being?

Edogawa Conan or Kudou Shinichi?

* * *

Friday evening came quickly, and Conan couldn't deny the fact that he'd been looking forward to it all week.

Hattori met with him at the building, and the two of them headed inside.

As per usual, there were guards scrambling to prepare for the appointed time, scurrying around to complete Nakamori-keibu's orders. And, as per usual, he had a fit when he saw the newcomers.

"Arrrgh! Why are _you_ here?!" He spat, jabbing a finger into Heiji's chest. "_This_ I can accept, because he comes to all of the heists Jirokichi sponsors and the Beika ones, so I _knew_ he was coming, but _you_?" He demanded, pointing at Conan first and then at Hattori.

His Osakan counterpart backed away with a sheepish grin, scratching the back of his head. "Maa, maa, keibu-han, let's not be like dat, 'kay?" He attempted to calm the man a bit. "'N' KID was da one who invited meh in da first place." He Held up the notice a bit weakly.

The man snatched the message. "Haa? KID _invited_ you?" He furrowed his brows as a perplexed expression dominated his countenance. "Let's see here," He began, cupping his chin. "'PS. Feel free to invite Tantei-han too, Tantei-kun. The more detectives, the bigger the failure seems..?'" He trailed off. A moment later, his ears were literally blowing steam, and his face had gone baboon butt red. "Argh! That damned thief!" He roared, immediately stomping away and grumbling under his breath.

The two detectives he left behind sweatdropped.

Nakamori-keibu always seemed to enjoy showing off his rather _colorful_ vocabulary.

"'N' he didn't return da message..." Hattori put a hand to his forehead. "How do ya put up wid d'is stuff?" He asked rather vaguely, waving a hand in front of them to gesture to the hustle and bustle of the KID task force.

Shinichi laughed flatly. _Haha... you should see them when Jirokichi-ojiisan is around with his private guard mixing with them..._

* * *

The two of them didn't manage to get close enough to the display case to sneak a peek at the targeted jewel, but they figured that once it was returned, they could come and see it again after the heist.

"The heist notice said midnight, right?" Shinichi cocked his head as he stared at his watch. "That's in about ten more minutes..."

They were leaning against the wall in a secluded and unguarded area, arms crossed as they monitored the heist room.

"I thought that from the 'Last Wizard of the Century' case that they figured out that trapping KID in the room with the jewel wasn't a good idea, so they used a replica." Conan murmured.

Heiji looked down at his friend. "Yeah, I 'member dat heist. Dat one earned meh a slight sprain after dat near-ta-death collision wid dat truck." He shuddered and leaned his head back against the wall with a sigh.

Conan smiled apologetically. "We shouldn't have kept our eyes on the sky during that time."

Heiji snorted. "It don't matter anyhow. Least we were able ta figure out who Scorpion was and arrest 'em."

Conan raised a brow with a crooked smile. "Yeah, at least."

They were silent for a long time as Conan looked down at the floor, his glasses gleaming.

"Nde?" He began shifting his weight to his other foot, a large smirk on his face. "How'd you switch with him? If I remember correctly, he was with me most of the time."

Hattori looked down at his friend again, confusion painted clearly on his face. "Haa? Wat'er ya talkin' 'bout, Conan? Switch with who?"

Shinichi let out a small humph and looked up at his Osakan counterpart. He held up a finger. "I never told Hattori the details of what happened in that castle..." He smirked wider, holding a hand to his chin. "I never told him what happened because he was being nursed by Toyama-san, and wasn't allowed his phone during that time. Eventually, we both forgot about it. In the end, Hattori didn't find out anything about Scorpion."

"Hattori Heiji" remained silent, but turned his hat forward, using the shadows to hide his expression.

"And you didn't mess up my name." Shinichi continued.

"Ho~? What do you mean?"

Conan shifted, his demeanor going from prideful to irritated in a moment. "That idiot can't say 'Conan-kun' without going 'K-K-Conan-kun!'" He imitated with the help of his bowtie. "Well, I can't imitate his voice as well as you can, but you get it."

"But that's more circumstantial evidence than usual, isn't it?" He pointed out.

Conan did nothing to hide his perplexed expression. It was useless anyhow. "I have more evidence, but it's not important." He evaded his rival's curious stare, not going to say that Hattori usually called him 'Kudou' when they were alone. "All I wanted to know is why you went out of your way to invite us with a private notice, when you switched with Hattori, and why you decided to disguise as him in the end. You make it look like you couldn't make up your mind about him being around or not."

Heiji used his hat to cover his expression, an immediate smirk dancing across his lips. "I switched with him when you two were turning the corner by the toilet." He answered simply. "He's in the stalls right now, bound hand and foot."

Conan let out a small, irritated sigh, already feeling a migraine coming along from the rant that Heiji was bound to go off into. He shifted his glasses upwards and pinched the bridge of his nose.

Suddenly, 'Heiji' was right in front of him.

"What are you looking at?" Conan grumbled.

The man tilted his head and stared at him with wide sea green eyes. "It's nothing but... I don't think I've ever seen you without your glasses on." The thief sounded genuinely curious.

"Haa?" Shinichi said irritably, removing his glasses completely and staring straight into his rival's face. "Does that really matter? I've never seen you without your monocle."

"Ah, but removing that would reveal my identity." KID countered.

"I could very well say the same." Conan grumbled under his breath, looking away.

KID stared for a little while longer, and Shinichi shifted uncomfortably, a blush coming over his heated cheeks. Dammit, it felt like he was being scrutinized.

"Ha, you really don't look as dangerous without your glasses. Your eyes just look bluer... and maybe wiser?" KID cocked his head to the side, like he was trying to figure out what an abstract painting was actually painted to look like.

Conan nearly growled at his rival before he felt a slight tug on his left hand.

He jumped and looked down at his hand, his awareness suddenly spreading out.

It was black around him. The entire room had disappeared, but the officers he knew were spotlighted in the darkness, Kaitou KID glowing with them too.

It was then that he noticed the red strings.

He followed the one wrapped around his left hand's pinky finger, tracing the red string among the mess of officers he'd met.

There, he reached a conclusion.

His eyes widened in shock as he was suddenly dropped back into the real world, time beginning to move forward once more.

A fire truck red blush spread across cheeks and down his neck as he stared, wide eyed, at his person of fate.

_B-but... There's no way!_

_ K-Kaitou KID is my fated partner?!_

* * *

**Haha, that's a little over the 2000 word mark, but I figured you guys wouldn't mind... was it surprising? That KID would go out of his way to invite Hattori but just end up disguising as him? Knowing KID, he could've just disguised as one of the officers, as usual, right? **

** Did anyone think I was gonna wait for Conan to see the string that connect him and KID? ;P **

**~Crescent T.**


End file.
